Jaden McDaniels of the Minnesota Timberwolves. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
Relative to expectations, the Minnesota Timberwolves didn’t have many players that stood out like Jaden McDaniels did, particularly for a late-first round rookie.
Jaden McDaniels, brother of the Charlotte Hornets’ Jalen McDaniels (yes, I know, very similar names) was perhaps one of the better two-way players on the Timberwolves this past season.
McDaniels was the 28th overall selection in the 2021 NBA Draft, and was not expected to contribute as a rookie. Through the first two games of the season, he quite simply didn’t. Then head coach Ryan Saunders eventually implemented McDaniels into the rotation, where he shined and (eventually) earned a consistent starting spot.